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An Equal Opportunity University.
Speakers
Owoicho Adogwa, Shawn Adams, Katherine Archer, Ferhan Asghar, Maxwell Boakye, R. Carter Cassidy, Joseph Cheng, Francis Farhadi, Reza Forghani, David Freeman, Kyla Gilbert, Ashley Guiliani, Ryan Hofler, Christopher Mallard, Rouzbeh Motiei-Langroudi, Ben Motley, Rani Nasser, Parker Prusick, Eric Schmidt, Ammar Shaikhouni, Robert Spears, Justin Virojanapa, Jared Wilcox
Owoicho Adogwa, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio
Owoicho Adogwa, MD, is an esteemed Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the UC College of Medicine. Renowned for his expertise in treating spinal diseases, he specializes in adult and pediatric scoliosis, degenerative spine disease, and spinal oncology, making him a sought-after resource for patients worldwide. He is one of the few surgeons in the country cross-trained in orthopedic spine surgery and neurosurgery.
Shawn Adams, MD, MS
Department of Neurological Surgery
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Shawn Adams, MD, MS joined the University of Louisville neurological surgery residency program in July of 2015. He graduated from the Florida State University College of Medicine program in 2015 after completing a Masters of Science in Biomedical Science from the Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton, Florida and a Bachelors of Science in Microbiology from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.
Dr. Adams has completed research in clinical neuro-ophthalmology at Florida State University College of Medicine's Balance Disorders Clinic in Tallahassee studying the visual performance and retinal correlations in Parkinson's disease and vestibular dysfunction related to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. His current research interests focus on spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries. Additionally, he is working on improving outcomes of patients undergoing spine surgery through an Early Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) program. After residency Dr. Adams is planning on continuing his training with a spine fellowship.
Before attending medical school, Dr. Adams worked as a high school mathematics teacher and restored a 1979 Ford Bronco with his stepfather.
Katherine Archer, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CNRN
Family Nurse Practitioner
University of Louisville Health - Jewish Hospital
Louisville, Kentucky
Katherine (Katie) is thrilled to join you on this educational adventure. She hopes EmpoweredNP gives you the support, confidence, and knowledge every nurse practitioner needs while managing patients.
She is a self-described type-A worrier and knows the pressures nurse practitioners place on themselves to be the best. Katie started her nursing career after graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2007. Her first job was at the region’s level 1 trauma center in the neurosurgical ICU. She has also worked in pediatric and gero-psychiatry, the emergency department, and was a resource nurse for many years.
Like many of you, she felt her nursing skills and patient relations would improve with advanced education and she completed her Master’s of Science and Nursing at Bellarmine University in 2013. She then certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Since that time, she has specialized in Women’s Health, Gastroenterology, and has been in her current role with Neurosurgery since 2017. She has always valued education.
Katie has spoken at numerous conferences, both nationally and regionally on various Neurosurgical topics. She has also taught advanced health assessment for the Spalding University Family Nurse Practitioner Program. Katie is a co-author of the 2022 AANN Spine Surgery Clinical Practice Guidelines. It is through projects and teaching that she feels the most fulfilled in her career.
Katie resides in Louisville and is married to her golf-loving husband, Kyle. They have a toddler son, who ensures she gets her steps in each day.
Ferhan Asghar, MD
Professor of Clinical
Vice-Chair of Academic Affairs
Director of the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio
Ferhan A. Asghar, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Division of Spine Surgery, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He joined UC Health in 2005.
Dr. Asghar is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University and Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency training at the University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor and spine surgery fellowship training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Dr. Asghar's clinical interest focuses on disorders of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, including degenerative disease, trauma, and deformity. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) – Emerging Leaders Program, and North American Spine Society (NASS).
He has published numerous articles focused on spine injuries and has received many accolades and awards throughout his career, including the Medtronic Sofamor-Danek Award from the Cervical Spine Study Group and membership to the Resident Leadership Forum of the American Orthopaedic Association.
Maxwell Boakye, MD, MPH, MBA, FACS, FAANS
Clinical Director, Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center
Director, Department of Neurological Surgery Spine Fellowship
Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery
Endowed Chair, Ole A., Mabel Wise & Wilma Wise Nelson
Director of Quality Improvement, Department of Neurological Surgery
Chief of Spinal Neurosurgery, Department of Neurological Surgery
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Dr. Maxwell Boakye specializes in general neurosurgery, complex spinal neurosurgery, spinal radiosurgery, and minimally invasive spinal surgery, including endoscopic lumbar discectomies. He runs the Department of Neurosurgery Outcomes research program and spinal cord research lab, including the porcine spinal cord injury research program. With many ongoing projects, Dr. Boakye is the lead neurosurgeon for the epidural stimulation research program. These projects include investigations of the physiology and plasticity of the sensorimotor systems following neuromodulatory interventions for spinal cord injury using noninvasive multimodal methodologies, which include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroencephalography (EEG), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) technologies. Projects in the porcine spinal cord injury research program are currently focused on understanding the role of myelotomy as a novel treatment paradigm in improving functional outcomes after acute spinal cord injury. Dr. Boakye is the Principal Site Investigator for several clinical trials studying acute spinal cord injury. He directs the Department of Neurosurgery's participation in the North American Clinical Trials Network for spinal cord injury and the University of Louisville's participation in the American Association of Neurological Surgeons quality outcomes database of spine and brain surgery outcomes.
R. Carter Cassidy, MD
Professor
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Carter Cassidy completed his degree at Northeastern Ohio Universities, College of Medicine, in Rootstown, OH, and his residency and fellowship training at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Cassidy is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. His clinical interest includes Orthopaedic & Spine Surgery. Dr. Cassidy knew early in his training that he wanted to be a spine surgeon. He enjoys the complexity of spine surgery, but the challenges make it interesting. Dr. Cassidy is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Kentucky.
Joseph Cheng, MD, MS
Department Chair
Associate Director for UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute
Frank H. Mayfield Endowed Chair, & Professor
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio
Joseph Cheng, MD, is the Frank H. Mayfield Chair of Neurological Surgery of the UC Department of Neurosurgery at UC College of Medicine.
Formerly professor and vice-chair of neurosurgery at the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Cheng is an expert in complex spinal surgery and is recognized nationally for his neurosurgery outcomes research, leading to improved patient care. He also is instrumental in guiding national health policy.
Dr. Cheng’s clinical focus includes all aspects of spinal surgery, such as treating degenerative disease, deformities, trauma, tumors, and spinal cord injuries. He has a reputation as an expert in complex spinal surgery, with approximately 70 percent of his referrals originating from other surgeons who relied on him for revision surgeries or complex cases outside their expertise.
Dr. Cheng joined the Yale faculty in 2016, where he also directed the Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. Before that, he was a faculty member between 2002 and 2015 in neurosurgery at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he also served as director of Vanderbilt’s Neurosurgery Spine Program. Additionally, he served on the Medical College of Wisconsin faculty from 2001 to 2002.
Dr. Cheng received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1994 and a master’s in biomedical engineering from Marquette University in 2002. He completed his residency and a Neurosurgical Complex Spine Fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Board-certified in neurological surgery, Dr. Cheng was an American Association of Neurological Surgeons Health Policy Scholar in 2011. He received the AOSpine North American Educator of the Year Award that same year. 2013 he received the Vanderbilt Distinguished Neurosurgical Educator of the Year Award.
Dr. Cheng has lectured internationally on neurosurgical care, has published nearly 150 scientific research papers, chapters, and reviews, and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals. He also is active and a leader in numerous professional societies, including the North American Spine Society, the Council of State Neurological Societies, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the Tennessee Neurosurgical Society, the American Medical Association, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the AANS/CNS Section on Spine and Peripheral Nerve Disorders.
Francis Farhadi, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Complex & Deformity Spinal Surgery
CAST Spine Deformity Fellowship Director
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Francis Farhadi is a complex spine and peripheral nerve surgeon, specializing in minimally invasive techniques that treat a variety of spinal and nerve conditions. He received a master’s degree in public health from the University of London and completed his medical training and PhD at McGill University. He completed a residency in neurological surgery at the University of Toronto and finished two fellowships in peripheral nerve and complex spine surgery. Dr. Farhadi served on faculty for over 10 years at the Ohio State University in the Department of Neurological Surgery.
Dr. Farhadi’s current research focuses on developing and validating surrogate markers that can help better predict functional recovery after surgery for a variety of conditions including traumatic spinal cord injury and myelopathy. The results of this research will help guide the rational design of future human trials. He also oversees several clinical trials evaluating new implants to enhance the safety and efficacy of spinal surgery. Dr. Farhadi’s research has been published in numerous scholarly journals, including the Journal of Neurotrauma and the Journal of Neurosurgery Spine. Dr. Farhadi can to UK because it allows him to provide cutting-edge treatment and care while also participating in advancing standards of care through research and education.
Reza Forghani, MD, PhD
Professor of Radiology & Artificial Intelligence (AI),
Vice Chair of AI
University of Florida College of Medicine
Gainesville, Florida
Dr. Reza Forghani is a Professor of Neuroradiology in the Department of Radiology, where he also serves as the Vice Chair of Artificial Intelligence and the Director of the Radiomics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (RAIL). He obtained his MD/Ph.D. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he also completed Family Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology residencies. He also completed a fellowship in Neuroradiology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University in Boston.
Kyla Gilbert, DNP, APRN
Spine Program
Department of Neurosurgery
UK HealthCare
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Ms. Kyla Anderson earned her MSN from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is ANCC & AANP certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Ashley Guiliani, DNP, APRN
Lead, Neurosurgery Advanced Practice Provider
Department of Neurosurgery
UK HealthCare
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Ashley W. Guiliani graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice as a family nurse practitioner in May 2014. She is currently a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society as well the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives. Her certification is from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She has worked at the UK since October 2004, initially as a nursing assistant and then as a bedside nurse in January 2008. She began working as a nurse practitioner in the Department of Neurosurgery in December 2014. She currently works with Dr Craig van Horne specializing in functional neurosurgery and deep brain stimulation for management of Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. She also manages spine disorders and traumatic spine fractures. Her responsibilities include consultation and management of spine disorders, consultation and management of perioperative patients with movement disorders for deep brain stimulation, deep brain stimulation programming. She is currently the lead APP for the department of neurosurgery, managing both ambulatory and inpatient APPs.
Ryan Hofler, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Ryan Hofler is a neurosurgeon who specializes in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery. He treats all spine and spinal cord conditions – from disc herniations to fractures and complex deformities. He utilizes a wide array of minimal access techniques to treat spine pathologies, which help to reduce the disruption of skin, muscle, and soft tissue.
Dr. Hofler completed his medical training at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. While there, he also completed an intensive master's degree in Applied Anatomy. He completed his neurosurgery residency at Loyola University Medical Center and a rigorous Minimally Invasive Spine Fellowship at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL.
Dr. Hofler’s clinical and research interests are focused on expanding the scope and utility of minimally invasive techniques in spine surgery and improving surgical approaches to minimize complications. He aims to help his patients live with less pain, improved strength, and greater mobility.
Christopher Mallard, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Christopher Mallard completed his medical education at St. George's University. After medical school, he completed his anesthesiology residency and pain medicine fellowship at the University of Kentucky.
Rouzbeh Motiei-Langroudi, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Rouzbeh Motiei is a neurosurgeon subspecialized in spine surgery. After a long training in neurosurgery further complimented by fellowship training in spine surgery in world-known university brands, he started his practice in the University of Kentucky as a complex spine surgeon.
His continued training has made him proficient in different surgical methods and techniques, including open, mini-open, microscopic, and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures. He sees different techniques as complementary tools in taking care of patients and believes that an unbiased surgeon who is skilled in more than one technique can better serve his/her community. Dr. Motiei is the first to perform certain procedures in UK and Lexington, including MIS Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF) and MIS Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion (OLIF).
Although Dr. Motiei routinely takes care of all aspects of spine disorders, his specific passion and interest are spine deformity and spine tumors. He believes that being able to stand erect and functional without pain is a unique feature of humankind, and as a complex and deformity spine surgeon, He feels privileged to have the surgical skillset for that.
His goal in his career is to give all patients the highest quality and most updated treatment they deserve. This will only be possible through hard and honest work, fruitful companionship with colleagues and staff, as well as continued engagement in teaching, learning, and research. He sees UK as an excellent workspace to obtain that goal.
Rani Nasser, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio
Rani Nasser, MD, is an assistant professor of neurosurgery in the Department of Neurosurgery at the UC College of Medicine. He completed medical school at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Then he completed his residency in neurosurgery at Montefiore Medical Center / Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. While at Montefiore, Dr. Nasser completed a combined enfolded orthopaedic adult and pediatric spine deformity fellowship.
In 2016, Dr. Nasser was featured on CNN as part of the surgical team that successfully separated Siamese twins attached at the head. He is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Harold Lamport Biomedical Research Prize, American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ Robert Florin, MD Socioeconomic Award, New York Society for Neurosurgery Research Award, as well as the Stony Brook Alumni Association 40 Under Forty Award. Dr. Nasser has also participated in humanitarian surgical initiatives to provide neurosurgical healthcare access in Mongolia with the help of the Virtue Foundation.
Dr. Nasser is a prolific researcher who has published over 32 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. He actively participates in ongoing research and presents his work at national and international spine conferences. Dr. Nasser aims to provide the greater Cincinnati community with world-class comprehensive spine care, always putting patients and their families first.
Parker Prusick, MD
Department of Orthopaedics
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Parker Prusick earned his cellular and molecular biology bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 2012. He earned his medical degree from Central Michigan University College of Medicine in 2017 and completed his residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Parker recently completed his Surgery of the Spine Fellowship at The Ohio State College of Medicine. He is a new faculty member in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
Ammar Shaikhouni, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
Pediatric Neurosurgeon
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
The Ohio State College of Medicine
Columbus, Ohio
Dr. Ammar Shaikhouni is an assistant professor of neurological surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and a pediatric neurosurgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His clinical focus is on adult and pediatric epilepsy, movement disorders and stereotactic surgery for gene and drug delivery. Dr. Shaikhouni earned his graduate and medical degrees from Brown University and completed his residency at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. In addition, he completed a fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in 2019.
Dr. Shaikhouni’s research at both Brown University and The Ohio State University helped paralyzed patients gain control of assistive devices using their own brain activity. His work has been featured in multiple leading scientific journals, including Journal of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Clinics of North America and The Journal of Neuroscience. Based on his scholarly activity, Dr. Shaikhouni’s peers voted him a member of the Engineering Honor Society and the Scientific Research Honor Society.
Dr. Shaikhouni says working at The Ohio State University gives him the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research while treating patients in a collaborative environment. Each patient receives unique and highly personalized care, and he says he is proud to be a part of training neurological surgeons and instilling these standards of care in them.
Robert Spears, MD
Faculty Neurosurgeon
Lexington Clinic
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Robert Christopher Spears received his medical degree from the University of Louisville. He completed a residency in Neurosurgery at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Spears provides consultation services in cranial, spinal and peripheral nerve surgery, including brain tumors, vascular lesions, spinal tumors, degenerative spinal disease, epilepsy, pituitary tumors, and compressive neuropathies. Dr. Spears’ professional interests include primary and metastatic tumors of the brain and spinal cord.
Justin Virojanapa, DO
University of Cinicinnati
Dr. Justin Virojanapa, DO, stands at the forefront of spine surgery, bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to UC Health, after his notable stint at Northwell Health in New York. A neurosurgical spine surgeon of distinction, his primary clinical focus includes complex spine surgeries, minimally invasive spine surgeries, spinal oncology, spinal trauma, and syringomyelia, all of which cater to a wide range of spine conditions. His profound understanding of the spinal cord and spinal disorders stems from his intense training and dedication to patient care.
With his deep expertise and commitment, Dr. Virojanapa is not just a spine surgeon, but a spine specialist dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of spinal conditions, using minimally invasive techniques, ensuring a more comfortable recovery for his patients. His approach to patient care, combined with his specialized training, truly makes him one of the leading spine experts.
Jared Wilcox, MD, MSc, PhD, FRCSC
Complex Spine Fellow
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
